Eco Barge cleans up Shingley

THE Clean Streets and Creeks Program is once again keeping Airlie Beach looking beautiful, with volunteers taking to Shingley Beach for a clean up on Sunday morning.

An initative of Eco Barge Clean Seas, the program aims to remove rubbish from our streets before it ever makes it to the sea.

“While Eco Barge volunteers are commited to removing marine debris through the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program, the most effective way to reduce the impacts of marine debris is to prevent it from ever entering the marine environment,” Eco Barge founding chair Libby Edge said.

This was supported by Reef Catchments coastal systems program leader Kerri Woodcock who said it was “estimated that up to 80 per cent of all marine debris has actually originiated from land-based sources.”

The program was relaunched earlier this month, with a staggering 916kg of litter collected over six clean up days.

Two more clean ups are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4 and Sunday, March 15, followed by regular clean ups on the first Wednesday and third Sunday of every month until November.

For information on how to get involved visit: http://www.ecobargecleanseas.org.au.